AC Recharge - Info

Broke one of my AC lines (aluminum) the other day and just finished installing the replacement. All week while waiting for the replacement line there was green refrigerant / compressor oil (not sure which) dripping from the cracked line.

I'm going to get the system recharged at an independent shop ASAP this week. Just wondering what needs to be done so I don't get the wool pulled over my eyes and end up with a burned up AC compressor in a few months time. I assume in addition to the gas, oil needs to be injected into the system as well?

Thanks in advance to anyone in the know...

 

I am not an A/C mechanic, but I have a friend who does my work when I need it. If the refrigerant line was open to atmosphere, they will have to pump it down with a vacuum pump for a while. That has to be done to ensure no moisture is left inside the system. Other than that, a couple of pounds of refrigerant and a few ounces of refrigerant oil will be needed.

My .02 worth. Tim Glover

 

I don't have any experience with the tacoma but I just went though this on my 1995 Integra. Did you replace the o-rings as well?

A shop would need to vacuum the system for at least 30 mins to make sure there isn't any moisture in the system. The green stuff is a dye that is put into the oil to track leaks. It is a little hard to estimate how much oil was lost, but if you tell them you replaced a line and did not add any oil, they can look up how much do add. After they remove any residual moisture from the system, they usually keep the system under vacuum and see if there are any leaks. Some shops will actually do a pressure test using nitrogen around 200psi and see if your AC system holds. Once they are sure your system is not leaking, they then refill the refrigerant to spec.

 

The o rings came with the new line. Thanks for all the replies...